Water-elevator.



. WATER ELEVATOR.

APPLIU ATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1907.

2 sums-sum 2.

#W W M AITOR/JEYI HENRY M. LAMBERT, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

WATER-ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28, 1908.

Application filed September 13, 1907. Serial No. 392,784.

To all whom "it may concern:

[53? Be it known that I, HENRY M. LAMBERT, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Water-Elevator, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention seeks to provide a new and improved means for elevating water, of that class or type in which is utilized a water wheel, and which is mounted upon a float whereby it is driven by the current of a river, and it primarily seeks to provide a water elevating means of the character stated, of a simple and economical construction, which can be readily assembled for use and which effectively serves its intended purposes.

In its generic nature, my invention com prehends an adjustably supported water wheel, an overhead wheel, a bucket carrying endless chain that takes around the water and overhead wheels, buckets mounted on the chain in such manner that on the descending side of the wheel as they enter the stream, they automatically adjust themselves to form current impact. members to receive the current force thereagainst for aiding the rotation of the water wheel, and which on ascending on the'upoing side of the wheel automatically adjust t emselves to form water carriers, tripping means being also provided fordumping the said carriers at the desired points.

My present invention also embodies a water or current wheel, an overhead wheel, counterbalanced upper and lower beams upon which the upper wheel and the water wheel are respectively mounted, an endless bucket conveyer that takes around the upper wheel and the water wheel, and means cooperatively connected with the two beams for causing them to swing upon their fulcrums uniformly, whereby to maintain, at all times, a proper correlation between the said wheels, and a uniform tension on the endless bucket or elevating chain.

Again, my invention, in its more complete nature, embodies a special construction of the water and the overhead wheels and endless bucket carrying chain that cooperates with the said wheels, in such manner whereby .the shaft and friction of gears such as are generally used in elevating means of the character mentioned, certain details of construction and novel arrangement of parts being alsoembodied in my present invention, all of which will hereinafter be fully explained, specifically ointed out in the appended claims and il ustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of my improved water elevatin means, Fig. 2, is a vertical section thereo parts being in side elevation. Fig. 3, is an enlar ed sectional view of apart of the bucket c ain and the bucket tripping device, andFig. 4, is a transverse section of the current or power wheel.

In carrying out my present invention, a suitable upright framin consisting of an opposing pair of upwardly converging standards or beams 1010 is mounted upon a float or platform 1 anchored or otherwise made fast in the current of the river.

At a suitable point midway the side beams, there are secured to the float, uprights 22 that have bearings 20, upon each of which is tiltably mounted a beam ,33, upon the outer end of which is journaled the water or power wheel 4, presently described in detail, therear end of said beams carrying a fluid holding tank 5 that acts as a counter-balance for the beams -33 and the wheel 4, and which has a faucet 50 for letting out the fluid when .it is desired to decrease the weight of the said counterbalance 5. r

The mounting of the beams 3-3 and the wheel 4 is such that normally the said wheel extends below the float down in thewater sufficiently to brin its lowermost peripheral edge and the cross blades 41 attached to the radial arms 42 to a sufficient depth in the water to provide for the desired impact orcurrent force against the wheel, it being understood the depth'of the wheel in the water is regulated according to the velocity of the current by pro er adjustmentof the counter balance 5, it eing also understood that dropping of the wheel deeper into the fillin tank 60 mounted on the framing as clear y shown in the drawings.

The water wheel in the present construction consists of two opposing annular rims thatare braced to the shaft 63 by the radial arms 42 to which the paddle like cross blades 41 are secured. I I

Each of the rims has a series of equidistantly spaced notches 44 in the peripheral edge to receive the ends of the cross rods 7 upon which the links 71 of the endless or bucket carrying chain are mounted and which take around the wheel 4 and also an overhead wheel 8, which is also formed of two opposing annular rims having spaced peripheral notches 81 to receive the ends of the chain cross bars, as shown.

To the links of the chain are pivotally secured a series of buckets 9, so hinged that in traveling in a vertical direction, they assume a horizontal position, but as they begin to enter the water to pass under the wheel 4, they, under the influence of the water current against them, turn to a vertical position and thereby act as additional blades for receiving the impact force of the current, suitable stops 10 being provided for preventing the buckets from turning completely over, the hanging of said buckets being such, however, that as they rise on the upgoing side of the wheels 4 they fill and assume their horizontal position, at which position they are maintained until they approach the overhead wheel when the outer or pouring ends of the said buckets engage a trip bail 11 on the receiving end of the water collecting trough 11 mounted on the upright framing, as shown.

The overhead wheel 8 is journaled in a pair of walking beams 12-12 fulerumed upon a cross beam 13 transversely mounted. on the upright framing and braced by the truss rods 15. and turn buckles 16.

The beams 1212 are counter parts of the beams 33 and the outer ends are joined to the outer ends of said beams 3 & 12 by rigid connecting rods 17, the connection of the two sets of beams 1212 and 3-3 being such that under every tilt or swing movement the two sets of beams move in unison as one structure, as it were, thereby keeping the proper relation of the lower and upper bucket wheels under all adjustments thereof and by reason thereof, maintaining a regular and uniform tension on the endless chains, it being understood that an adjustment of the counter balance on the lower beams will cause the two sets of beams to swing upwardly and downwardly together, thus carrying the several parts of the wheels'and buckets with them without the slightest disorganizing of the correlation of the said parts.

By reason of providing a fluid regulatt-zd counter-balance, the power or water wheel can be quickly adjusted with reference to the stream, either to be sunk lower therein or lifted entirely out of it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.. A11 apparatus for elevating water from a stream or river which comprises the following elements in combination, a platform, a frame work projected vertically therefrom, upper and lower horizontally disposed frames tiltably mounted upon the said frame work and connected to move together, one of the said frames having counterbalaneetl de-' vices on one end thereof, a water wheel moun ted on the lower tiltable frame, an overhead wheel mounted on the other tiltable frame and an endless bucket that takes around the water wheel and the overhead wheel, sub s'tantially as shown and described.

2. In a water elevating means of the character described the combimttion with a float and a vertical frame; of the upper and lower beams tiltably mounted on the frame, rod connections that join the ends of the said tiltable frame, a 'ater wheel mounted on the lower tiltable frame, an overhead wheel mounted on the upper tiltable frame, a bucket carrying endless chain that takes around the said wheels and an adjustable counterbalance mounted on the lower tiltable frame, for the purposes described.

3. In a water elevating means of the character described, the combination with the float and a vertical frame,- of the upper and lower beams tiltably mounted on the frame: rod connections that join the ends of the said tiltable frame, a water wheel mounted on the lower tiltable frame, an overhead wheel mounted on the upper tiltable fram a bucket carrying endless chain that takes around the said wheels, an adjustable counterbalance mounted on the lower tiltable frame, said (amnterbalam'e consisting of a tank having means for drawing water therefrom and a filling tank having a filling faucet arranged to discharge into the water tank on the tilt able frame, for the purposes described.

HENRY M. LAMBlI 'l.

\Vitnesses:

NELSON Hnonns, A. T. LEWIS.

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